Colgate University’s student-led improv group, Charred Goosebeak, performed for students and families at the Palace Theater, located at 19 Utica St. The performance took place on Friday, Oct. 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.. This two-hour skit was not their usual event, however, as they welcomed the founders of Charred Goosebeak — Broken Lizard members and alumni Jay Chandrasekhar ’90 and Kevin Heffernan ’90 — and career comedians Rob Belushi, Jaime Moyer, Katie Rich, Jon Barinholtz and Tim Stoltenberg to the stage.
This comedic collaboration was made possible by the organizational efforts of Charred Goosebeak co-presidents and seniors Lizzie Nash and Sophie Neugarten. Already in the process of planning a show with Belushi and Barinholtz, an annual tradition, they were approached by Chandrasekhar and Heffernan, who asked to perform scenes with the group while they visited their children at Colgate for Family Weekend.
“Everyone was super stoked about the idea and things started to fall into place,” Nash said. “We had to present to the [Budget Allocations Committee] to receive funding from the school, and we were granted almost our full asking amount. So, overall, it took a lot of work, logistics and communication to make the show on [Oct. 27] happen, but it was so worth it.”
Chandrasekhar and Heffernan kicked off the performance with a brief stand-up skit, where they joked about Colgate and picked on their children — both first-year students — in the audience. After this, Nash and Neugarten gave short remarks and introductions. Members of the student group then played several games, including “shift left” and “commando,” where they came up with witty jokes and character arcs on the fly.
“[In shift left,] there are four different scenes going on at one time and we switch back and forth so the audience gets a glimpse of each scene as it moves through time and space,” Nash said. “Commando is more long-form improv and we usually end our practices with it because it’s a great way to get everyone out and into a scene. You also have total creative liberty in this game to do whatever you want, whether that be calling back characters, editing a scene completely or putting a character in a new place.”
Throughout the performance, Charred Goosebeak and the visiting comedians took turns acting out these skits separately before they all joined in at the end. In these last thirty minutes, students and comedians played the same games, but together, showcasing the diverse talents and personalities on stage.
Senior Mia Buchband enjoyed seeing past and present Colgate students come together for the performance.
“It was so fun to watch students perform with career comedians, especially alumni. It proves how well humor connects generations of Colgate students,” Buchband said.
Junior Betsy Figge had similar feelings after watching the show.
“I think that the alumni comedians really complemented the work of the students. All the performers collectively share the experience of being a Colgate student, which made the set feel very cohesive. I think it is important that the comedians are founders and alumni members of Charred Goosebeak because they were able to share the stage with the students without overpowering them,” Figge said.
The comedy show brought together Colgate students from across the years, continuing a beloved school tradition and carrying it on into the future.
